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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pit · degree · rock · firm · bear · arm · chair · row

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. degree — from a university
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. degree — an amount
  7. row — to paddle
  8. rock — music
  9. degree — temperature
  10. bear — the animal
  11. firm — decided
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. firm — a company
  14. chair — a leader
  15. rock — a stone
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. bear — the animal
  20. pit — a hole
  21. pit — in a race
  22. firm — steady
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. arm — a part of something

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com